Self-Published Authors are Real Authors

Over the weekend, I read an article. I’m not going to mention names or titles, but if you’re an independent author, you probably know which one I’m talking about. In his article, the author lists many reasons why self-publishers should not be considered real authors. Believe it or not, the article didn’t make me angry. It did irk me enough to write this post (twice – I had just finished when I accidentally clicked a different tab – deleted everything), but to be honest, it really just made me roll my eyes. It was written with such ignorance. Clearly, this guy knows nothing about independent authors.

There’s a stereotype out there that independent authors are the ones who aren’t good enough to be published by a big traditional publishing house. We’re the second-stringers who are so desperate for notoriety and publicity, and perhaps even fame and fortune, that we publish our own work ourselves because no one else will touch it. Let me tell you right now, if writing books and going through all the work is just for fame and fortune, I can think of like, a hundred different ways to try to go about that, all of which would be significantly easier and less of a hassle than publishing your own book.

Don’t get me wrong. Writing and publishing is a joy, one of the greatest joys in the world. But it’s also a lot of work, work that I wouldn’t be willing to put into anything that I didn’t want to do with all my heart and soul. Independent authors don’t have the luxury, the resources, the funds, or the man-power of a traditional publishing house. True, I have editors and a cover designer whom I appreciate all the way to the moon and back, but everything else, I’ve done on my own. But I don’t regret it for a moment. By choosing the independent route, I retain all rights to my work. I never have to worry about contracts or bottom lines. There’s a great deal of freedom in the indie world. There is also a great deal of love. Independent publishing is a labor of love. And it always will be.

Finally, my dear friend and editor, Hannah Alvarez, is in the process of getting her new business up and going. She’s designed a line of mix-and-match stuffed animals called Snapdragons and they are simply adorable. Her campaign will be coming to Kickstarter in April.

Everyone have a wonderful Monday. And stay warm. We’re iced in down here. Perfect writing weather!

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20 thoughts on “Self-Published Authors are Real Authors”

You are totally legit. Every time I see something published, the voice in my head whispers *finish your book and you won’t be jealous*. Problem is, when I have time to work on it, I don’t think about it … 😦

You’re so right. Anyone who truly loves writing is part of a fellowship that collectively understands that this form of artistic expression ought to draw no lines in the sand. We share a passion for something that is not so frivolously or casually engaged, as [unnamed person] so carelessly and incorrectly has suggested. We wouldn’t pour this kind of energy into something that we didn’t invest ourselves completely in. We are all writers, authors, poets the moment we put pencil to paper.

I read the article too and felt the exact same way. In the end it just made me feel sad that someone in a position that would imply knowledge and passion for the literary world is evidently so ignorant to such a large portion of it.

Right? He simply doesn’t understand the work and love behind what we do. Maybe if he did, he’d have a more open mind. I was honestly more offended that, in his newer article, he said that self-publishing wasn’t sexy. Rude.

Please link the Kickstarter when it goes live. Those things are adorable. :3

As for that article… I definitely rule don’t eyes at that too. You described it well by calling it “ignorant.” No one ever realizes just how much we go through to get our books published. They’re content letting everyone else make the calls, so the work. That’s okay, though. Like you said, labor of love.